2013高考英语二轮阅读理解(18)外研版.doc

2013高考英语二轮阅读理解精选（18）及答案

A
Chinese and Western eating habits are different. In China, the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. It is always polite to let guests or elderly people at the table taste every dish first. But in the West, everyone has his or her own plate of food.
Although there are no strict rules on how to set chopsticks and spoons, there are some things you should never do during a Chinese banquet (筵席).
　 Firstly and most importantly, don’t put your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl. Instead, lay them on your dish. The reason for this is that when people die, family members give them a bowl full of rice with a pair of chopsticks sticking out upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it appears that you want someone at the table to die.
Make sure the spout(容器嘴) of the teapot is not facing anyone, as this is impolite. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
Don’t tap on your bowl with your chopsticks. Beggars tap on their bowls, so this is not polite. Also, when the food is coming too slow in a restaurant, you should not tap on your bowl. If you are in someone’s home, it is like insulting the cook.
56．What is the difference between Chinese and Western eating habits according to Paragraph 1?
A. In China people are very polite, while in the West people are not so.
B. In China people share the dishes, while in the West people eat separately.
C. In China people use the chopsticks, while in the West people use the knife and fork.
D. None of the above.
57． Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. It is polite to taste the dishes before the guests or the elderly.
B. You can put your chopsticks wherever you want.
C. Never tap on your bowls with the chopsticks during the meal.
D. Teenagers can stick their chopsticks in the rice bowl.
58．The underlined word “insulting” in the last paragraph probably means “_________”.
A. playing jokes on B. laughing at C. treating badly D. looking down upon
59． Why is it impolite to tap on your bowl when you eat in a friend’s home?
A. Because it means that you don’t respect the cook.
B. Because it means that somebody will die.
C. Because tapping on the bowl will bring bad luck.
D. Because it means that your friend is a beggar.
B
I grew up in a small town. My father raised chickens and ran a construction company. I was only 10 years old when my dad gave me the responsibility of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the coop. He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace. I washed dishes and cooked from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and then went on to sing until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn’t long before I became known as a singing cook.
I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a woman executive (主管) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked, and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call — Warner Brothers Records wanted to sign a record deal with me. Soon after, I released my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies.
My best efforts have gone into every job I’ve ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my best filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known singer.
60．Why was the writer once known as a singing cook?
A. Because he was a cook at a country music club.
B. Because he sang for guests while he worked as a cook.
C. Because he often sang while cooking.
D. Because he liked singing better than cooking.
61．________ first recognized his talents and helped to make his career successful.
A. Warner’s brother B. His manager C. His father D. A woman executive
62．What made the writer proud of himself?
A. His ability to live independently.
B. His sense of responsibility in whatever he did.
C. His courage in the face of rejections.
D. His hard work in his early years.
63．The main purpose of the passage is to tell us that _________.
A. one should learn to do all kinds of things when he is young
B. one will succeed if he tries his best to do something well
C. the sense of responsibility plays an important part in one’s life
D. doing all kinds of jobs helps one become more mature
C
Students who want to attend an American college or university must explain how they will pay for their education. They have to show that they will be able to pay for each year of study. Students have to consider not only the tuition, the cost of classes, but also meals and a place to live in, which is known as room-and-board. They also need money for books and supplies. And they need money to spend on social activities and other things.
Educational advisers say foreign students should have enough money in a local bank to pay for at least two months of expenditure. So how much will a year at an American school cost? Generally speaking, the answer is: a lot. A leading state university in the Pacific Northwest will serve as an example. The University of Washington says foreign students are paying more than $36,000 this year. This major research university currently has 2,600 foreign students from more than one hundred countries. There are many schools that cost less, but also others that cost more. Its web site says the University of Washington does not offer financial assistance to international students. This is generally true of American schools, especially at the undergraduate level.
The international application for the university includes a Statement of Financial Responsibility that must be signed. Students must also provide a bank letter or statement from within the past six months. And they have to name someone who will help with payments. These people must send proof from a bank to show that they have the money. Your government or employer may be able to help you pay all or some of the college costs. A good idea is to ask at least eighteen months before you want to start classes in the United States.
Our Foreign Student Services, including links to web sites discussed in our reports, can be found at . To learn more about higher education in America, the State Department has a special web site: educationusa.state.gov.
64．Who is this speech probably given to?
A. Students who are going to graduate from colleges.
B. Students who are going to college in the US.
C. Students who are going to apply for room-and-board.
D. Students who can’t pay for their college study by themselves.
65．The University of Washington __________________.
A. has the highest fees of any college
B. has the most foreign students of any college in the US
C. is a key university in the Northwest of the US
D. charges less than other colleges in the Northwest of the US
66．What is NOT a must if you, a foreign student, apply for the university in the US?
A. Apply eighteen months before you want to start.
B. A signed Statement of Financial Responsibility.
C. People who will help you pay for the study should provide a bank proof.
D. A bank letter from within the past six months.
67． What is the speaker’s purpose in this speech?
A. To tell foreign students that money is the most important thing in the US.
B. To advise foreign students to apply as soon as possible so as to have more chances.
C. To state some requirements that foreign students should pay attention to when applying for colleges.
D. To tell people about the present situation of foreign students in the US.
D
There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny programme. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
68． The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “ ”.
A. delays B. prevents C. increases D. reduces
69．Why do doctors hold laughter clinics?
A. Because they want to earn more money.
B. Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.
C. Because they want to improve their patients’ health.
D. Because they want their patients to laugh more.
70．According to the author, we should __________ in our life.
A. laugh as much as possible B. watch more funny films
C. smile all the time D. spend time in the laughter clinics
71． What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health.
B. Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition.
C. Laughter can reduce the effect of pain.
D. Laughter is the best medicine.
E
While IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tells you how smart you are. EQ (Emotional Quotient) tells you how well you use your smartness. Professor Salovery, the psychologist who created the term, EQ, says that it is IQ that gets you hired but it is EQ that gets you promoted.
Supported by his research, he suggested that when predicting future successes, a person’s brainpower, as measured by IQ tests, might actually matter less than a person’s character, or EQ. Professor Salovery may be correct. For example, have you ever wondered why some of the best and smartest students in your class end up failing exams? Perhaps it is because of their EQ. People often make the mistake of thinking that EQ is the opposite of IQ. It is not. Although it is hoped that people have both high EQs and IQs, there is little doubt that those with low EQs have a hard time surviving in life.
For a long time, researchers discussed if a person’s IQ could be raised. The geneticists said no, while the social scientists said yes. Furthermore, the social scientists said that it was possible to improve a person’s EQ, particularly in terms of “people skills”, such as understanding and communication.
Recently, a professor released the findings of a study on senior high school students. When some normal students were introduced to some disabled students, they found that afterwards they were more willing to help people in difficulties. At the same time, there was a marked change in the disabled students’ attitudes. They became more positive about their disabilities and were more eager to try new things. People with high EQs often have positive attitudes towards life and are open to different ideas, so they tend to be more creative in their thinking. Please remember that having a high IQ is helpful but having a high EQ might even be more helpful.
72． According to Professor Salovery, what factor matters the most in predicting whether a person will be successful or not?
A. How a person tests his / her brainpower. B. A person’s character.
C. How smart a person is. D. A person’s IQ.
73． The second paragraph tells us that .
A. people who have a high IQ always have a high EQ
B. EQ is the opposite of IQ
C. people who have a low EQ tend to have a hard life
D. people who have a high EQ always have a high IQ
74． Which of the following is the writer’s attitude toward EQ and IQ?
A. IQ is more helpful to people than EQ.
B. IQ can be raised by understanding and communication.
C. EQ can get people hired.
D. A high EQ is of great benefit in getting people promoted.
75． Which of the following would be the best title of this passage?
A. A person’s brainpower. B. IQ, EQ and success.
C. IQ and a person’s character. D. A person’s IQ and EQ.

参考答案
56－59 BCDA 60－63 BDBC 64－67 BCAC 68－71 DCAD 71－75 BCDB

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